London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2025

Many EU countries are in ‘direct war’ with Russia – Serbia

Many EU countries are in ‘direct war’ with Russia – Serbia

Europeans are sending weapons to Ukraine and are angry that Serbia “is not in their shoes,” President Aleksandar Vucic claims
Many EU states are in “a direct war” with Russia and are “angry” with Belgrade for refusing to go along with sanctions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference two days after attending a meeting between the 27 EU leaders and six heads of government from the West Balkans, Vucic claimed the Balkans “were not important that day” for the EU, as the bloc is “completely at war with Russia” and its priority was to provide Ukraine and Moldova with EU candidate status.

Viktor Orban [Hungarian prime minister] said that in the economic sense, Serbia and Montenegro are much more ready to be part of the EU than some other countries. But who cares?” Vucic remarked.

He explained that Serbia is now in a difficult position due to the pressure to join EU members in imposing sanctions on Russia. The president stressed he is aware of “how angry many of them are” over the issue.

“Many EU countries are in a direct war against Russia. They send howitzers, planes, S-300s to Ukraine, and how do you think they will treat us? They are not in our shoes as we are not in theirs, and that is why our position is extremely difficult. Will it be easier? Well, it won't,” Vucic said.

However, he pledged that Serbia will continue to pursue its European path as “there must be a rational and pragmatic approach in politics, which takes the interests into account.”

He noted that in Serbia, 300,000 people work directly and 500,000 indirectly for foreign companies, two thirds of which are from the EU.

“If you do not understand how important the EU is to us, I cannot change that,” he said, while claiming the West fails to appreciate how important it is for Serbia to refrain from anti-Russia sanctions, and to maintain good relations with both Russia and China.

Addressing the economic situation in Europe, Vucic gave a gloomy forecast, saying if the conflict in Donbass does not end with a truce, the world will face “a worse world war than the previous one.”

“A little man from the Balkans says that. I hope that they will start peace negotiations, otherwise we will all go,” he added.

On Thursday, the day when Ukraine and Moldova were granted EU candidate status, Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said a military conflict with Russia appears to be the condition for fast-track accession to the European Union.

Pointing out that Ukraine falls short of the standards which are “so carefully applied to Balkan countries,” the minister claimed Kiev's “participation in the war was enough to start negotiations” on its EU membership. He added that if getting into war with someone is the only way to speed up Serbia’s accession to the EU, then “it is not worth it.”

Earlier this month the interior minister said his country was not interested in diminishing its “closeness and cooperation” with Moscow, and that by trying to force Belgrade to impose sanctions on Russia, the West simply seeks to “absolve” itself of its own crimes. His remarks came soon after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Serbia to follow the EU's lead in sanctioning Russia, and recognize the breakaway province of Kosovo as an independent state if it hopes to join the bloc.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
×